Thu, 27 Dec 2018 10:28:43 -0800WeeblyWed, 17 May 2017 10:51:42 GMThttp://www.layagsug.com/home/in-situ-you-are-sugIn situ, you are called SuluYou are also called Sug,a contraction of the old word Sulug,which means "currents of the sea",the sea now known to the world as Sulu Sea.From your own tongue it comes,not from others' mouths.

While you were also called Suluk or Solok,your name will always take us backto what is called the “tranquilflowing current of the sea”,which has the characteristics of“travelling in the right path”.And you are peaceful.

The Lannang called you Sulu,a maritime polity recorded in Ming Shilu.Around 1375, an Arab from Mecca,Sayed Ali, called you Suluk.He heard from the natives the word Sulug.Ibn Majid in 1462 wrote it as Sulukbut didn’t claim the name comes from him.

Your brethren from Banjarmasinwere calling you Banjar Kulan,possibly from Kulaan, which means “close-knit”in their native tongue.You were a “Banjar Close-knit” then.Every now and then your name changes into different kinds according to people’s ex situ understanding.You’ve been called Karasikan, Kola and Kaling.

When the Spanish arrivedon your archipelago,they named you Felicia,which means “happy things or happy times”.Does this meanyou were once a happy placebut not anymore now? And why not?

]]>Thu, 26 Jan 2017 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.layagsug.com/home/reading-is-boringI was with Apis Cuer and Brian tonight sharing something about reading. The sharing was with UMS Art Students at “Bicara Orang Seni: The Power of Reading” conducted by KARMA UMS at the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage, UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. (Thank you so much, KARMA, for inviting us and allowing us to share with you all.)

Let me share some thoughts on my personal experience with reading and writing.

I don't think I can ever divorce myself from these two “boring” words, "reading" and "writing". Reading has already become part of my habit to balance my thoughts between truths and lies before I write. Reading helps a lot in opening my mind and heart to write anything under the shining sun and glittering moon. It even strengthens my love to my left, my right, my front and my back - my environment surrounding me. In Malaysia, the citizens are very fortunate that they are supported and urged to read and buy books. The government even exempts them from paying taxes if they buy books.​When I was a child and only beginning to get familiar with alphabets and letters, I’d read for hours, unaware that what I was doing was really reading. I started when I was three to four years old. I just read letters like they’re abstract objects. I didn’t bother to understand what they were. Later I began to take interest in the things I read. I read books, magazines, newspapers, anything I could get my hands on.

​It felt gratifying, discovering things in the process. I found out how powerful reading is and eventually it became part of my personal culture. I became aware that reading is good. I became addicted to it. I was very careful though. I was afraid that I would fall into a trap of false knowledge and lies because I used to hear people say, “If you read, read the books on morality or those that connect you to your God”.

With KARMA, the student group that organized the sharing. Photo: Apis Cuer.

Frankly, I am dependent both on my reading and on my observations of things when I do my writing. I read to confirm facts, truths, and lies. So, it might not be boring to me. Reading connects me to my past and guides me as I reconnect my present to my past. It gives me strength to be powerful in my own way by creating a peaceful environment so I could be powerless again. Power here doesn’t mean direct physical power but power to recreate an oasis of knowledge and thoughts.

My way to counter boredom, I kept on reading and reading. Reading helped me weigh which one is heavy, which one is light. It also taught me to understand truths from lies, facts that are not true from truth that are not facts. Little did I know reading is not only a skill or an act of going through pages of newspapers and books, silently or aloud, but also something that needs interpretation, understanding, explanation, and analysis.

Reading is boring. I know it. And books are boring if I don’t read, even just a word. It’s the same thing as writing. Writing is difficult if I don’t start writing even a single incomplete sentence or scribbling or creating asemic writing in my notebook. But it’s just how it is. What I do, I connect my reading with my writing. If I don’t read, I will just be going round and round, unable to come up with anything sensible when I write.

I agree that reading is something that fights boredom, although, I too do believe that it could be boring depending on how I deal with it. “Reading is boring” is a phrase that agitates my mind and disturbs my brain cells. Reading was not part of my culture back then. I read only because I needed to read to prepare for exams at school. In our family, I was taught “to study”, never “to read”. I didn’t realize studying involves a lot of reading.

With some students.

We can acquire passion with reading out of its being boring. For instance, we can turn boredom into something fascinating by reading to learn the way other people live, their history and story and thoughts and ideals. I remind myself that when I am unsure about what to read, I should read something that keeps me connected to God, to myself, to the people around me and to those friends I never met in my entire life.

I treat reading and books as well as writing as my friends because it is through them that I can meet friends who may never be known to me. Those friends may not always be persons but also things and concepts I can talk to. When I am reading a book, it’s not me who is talking. It’s the book who is talking to me and it becomes the channel by which the author communicates with me, sharing knowledge through the pages I read.

​Because I read today, I learned about my life, my language, my friends, my loved ones, my peace, even about my boredom. I have no reason not to read. The word “boring” is a very boring word. It’s the enemy of our souls and it kills the desire to learn and explore. I can even visit places without physically being there through reading.

With students and Cikgu D.

Lastly, reading is my eyes, listening is my ears, but the psyche is still reading. So there is no escape in reading if we engage, take inspiration, and be truthful. I just don’t suggest reading if it makes us arrogant and turns us into followers of wasteful idealism through reading theories based on their own cultures. By reading, we can take what is good and evil but we should use our knowledge of evil to identify what is good. Let’s us all remember, by reading, learning and observing, we can identify that Sabah as our “tanah-air”, got it’s own land and sea, that is why it is composed of “tanah” and “air”, as we are its citizens are composed of sea-based people and land-based people. If we have sailors, we also have hunters. And they are our warriors.​Thank you so much for listening to this “boring” sharing. God bless us all!

When typing and/or encoding a story, poem, journal or article, the word “writing” always appears in my subconscious. The questions that come into my mind are: “What is writing?”, “Writing is what?”, “Am I writing?” and “If indeed I am writing, am I writing well?

Despite having read many stories, novels, poems, articles, and journals written by different authors and writers around the world and despite being someone who is regularly engaged in creative writing, I still often stumble with the questions “What makes one a good writer?” and “What constitutes good writing?”

In trying to understand the phrases “good writer” and “good writing”, we all need to begin with the general questions “What is writing” and “Writing is what?”

Here are a few definitions of the word “writing” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

3. a style or form of composition4. the occupation of a writer; especially : the profession of authorship

For me, to write is to inscribe a word or a sentence with a pen or pencil or to encode something into our smart phones or computers to make a story or present our ideas to others.

I can say that I am not new to writing because I’ve been doing it during my school years (my teachers asked me to), but I am very new to what is “good writing” and how to be “a good writer”. And “good writing” for me is very subjective.

I found writing to be a mix of many things. It is interesting, boring, easy, difficult, and challenging and to write, we have to deal with all its complexities, richness, and values.

Over the years I’ve been engaging myself with writing, or to be exact, typing into a smart phone or computer. I realized that:

Writing is our natural reaction to something. It is our reaction to any social issue(s) happening in our society and that we write for a particular purpose and audience.

At first we don’t need to be so caught up with the appropriateness of words, grammar, and punctuations. In most times, this can hinder creativity. We should focus instead on planning as to what genre we will be writing in: poetry, novel, narratives or feature or news articles. Later, we edit, proofread and reread before posting or publishing our work.

We can write whatever we like.We can write for children, teens, and adults and for whatever topics we like in any languages and genres.

It’s good to write for a cause, although we don’t really need to be limited to it. We can even write for pleasure and happiness, as long as it is not to incite hatred and hate. It is up to us how to turn a word into a good sentence, then a good story.

Writing is not teaching.We don’t write to teach people but to state issues, facts and problems that need solutions. As we do so, we should constantly rewrite to clarify the message that we want to tell our audiences. Our writing creates a message that could help transform our society into something good or something stimulating. Ultimately though, the value of what we do still depends upon how our readers and audiences perceive our message or react to it.

Most of the time, I write to document events, situations, feelings and observations.

Now, we have to know what makes a good writing, because what makes a writer a good one depends upon the writing itself. At this point, we’ll learn to write a poem. What I am going to share is but a small slice of a bigger writing pie. Still, I hope they will be useful for you.

WRITING POETRY

As you all know already, poems and poetry are our poesy. They are an art of expression in composition. Poesy is where our Malay word ‘Puisi’ comes from.

Ideas for writing poetry could come from anywhere. We can get ideas by observing our world, either intrapersonal or interpersonal. We may write to communicate with readers or generate emotional reactions from them. We may also write just to capture our feelings or experiences.

The most difficult problem in writing comes when we don’t start writing what we have in mind. Remember, our minds cannot write. We should always write down our ideas before they vanish into the air.

But how do we write?

Writing poems varies from person to person. There are no rules or definite ways to do it. But there are techniques and recommended steps which you may consider useful.

In the following section, we’ll try to learn these steps along with a few examples from my own work. (I have written many pieces of poetry. I don’t know if they’re good or not, but I am going to use them as examples here just to help explain a few points.)

1. Identify the subject

We can’t write anything without first identifying what our subject is. Do we want to write about any particular social issue-- pollution, killing, discrimination, corruption? We can research or read, but many times, our subject will find us, especially when we are feeling the situations and witnessing events happening in our surroundings. Our subject might be derived from a theme, idea or opinion.

2. Create a new thing

When I say creating a new thing, I mean avoiding the use of cliches -words or phrases that have been used and written by poets and writers many times before, like “no man is an island.” A poet must be creative enough to find something new and interesting.

3. Describe or use imagery

Our five senses--sight, smell, hear, touch and taste--could be helpful in poetry writing. English Professor Peg Lauber added a sixth sense known as motion and advises poets to “be a painter in words”. Let our eyes capture the picture the way a camera captures phrase. Always remember the phrase: “Show, don’t tell”, which means describe the subject, because ‘telling’ is killing your message. It’s better if our poetry comes with metaphor and simile.

SamplesShow, don’t tell.

“She shines like a canvassof blooming rosesin different colors.”

- 2016.

Six senses.

“I did cross the rivers, many times and I am watching eagerly.” - sight

“Peace is as common as candies.I want to taste even just a piece of it.” - taste

“I don't feel fresh this morningnot like a blooming rose.” - touch

“smell like hellsniffing this you can let go of evil.” - smell

4. Don’t be framed with rhymes

Although rhymes in general are good, they can sometimes limit the artistic value and destruct the quality of our poetry. Whether or not we should use rhymes depends upon what we want to write. We can choose between rhythmical and non-rhythmical (free verse) poetry.

“the rivers dance gracefully,and I am watching eagerly”.

- rhythmical

“I can only see the darkthat’s when there is a light”.- non-rhythmical

5. Always follow the three Rs

Be persevering. Let’s not be too excited to publish our poetry. If we have friends, letthem read and comment first. That, after we’ve read, reread, revised our own work.

After finishing with our writing, we always ask ourselves: Is our article, poetry, novel, short story good enough? Don’t worry. At least we did our best. Let the readers be the judge. As long as we worked hard to write, it is already good, perhaps even the best.

Lastly, be always prepared with criticism. Not everyone can be pleased. In stories, it is simply not good if there is no conflict between protagonists and antagonists. Everything always comes with opposite.

Thank you all for your perseverance!And thank you, YPC, for organizing this sharing session.

Poetry, for many, is probably not as important as other things to deal with in life. It doesn’t make one rich. Which is true, if one thinks of richness only in terms of money. But for me, a rich person is one who is able to touch other people’s lives positively, one who is able to make himself/herself useful to society.

I actually know of some people who still think of poetry (and art and literature in general) as “stupid” endeavours. I feel sad for them.

They probably do not know that poetry plays a major role in shaping our humanity. Without poetry, we’d be reduced to mere creatures without souls.

Poetry can cure illness, political chaos, and social stigma, even personal depression. Poetry gives us an avenue to express our actions, characters, the chronology of events, times and history, experiences, settings, and our motives in our lives. Most of all, it allows us to touch other people's lives.

Poetry as we all know is also called poesy from which our Malay word “puisi” originates. Poetry is not just an art. It's beyond art.

Poetry allows us to access different things that happen in our lives. Its power reinforces our desire to change, our desire to be the catalyst of change. To me, it is intellectual “insanity” that drives us to create changes to ourselves and others.

We are here today because we want to share how poetry has touched our lives. There are many of us. So we have many stories to listen to.

Don’t hesitate. We don’t really need to be poets per se in order to write poetry. What makes one a poet is just what poetry makes him one. Poetry is within us, it is us, and it is all around us. Eventually, poetry makes us even richer than others once we make it a channel and outlet towards something good.

Poetry can be shouting for some, can be voicing hatred, can be making other things fight. But it is also making hate melt and evaporate like smoke going up and disappearing through air.

Also remember, we write not to compete with others. Poetry is beyond that--far, far beyond egos that often afflict us human beings. And being a poet is not simply our choice. It has been fixed by the Supreme Being because we all have roles and responsibilities in this society. (Please, please and please let’s not forget to read about society. If not by reading books, by looking and observing ourselves inside and out--who are we to others, who others are to us. In the process, let’s question ourselves if we are good enough to look down upon others.)

Now. Get one ringgit bill, and then create something out of it. What do you see and feel? Find your own voices from others. Hear the voices of their hearts and your hearts. Speak the truth even it is falsified. We don't need to be brave to speak our hearts out; we only need a brain to say it through our keyboards and pens.

Poetry is also a critic to ourselves, even if we are the ones speaking and writing.

​Writing poetry is not fixed, but the causes and purposes are. It’s not necessary for a poem to be beautiful per se; ugliness can also be its beauty. It also doesn’t need to be academic, because academics can also diminish the thrash of poetry. Academics and the thrash of poetry compliment each other. Perhaps, there can never be a study that comes out without listening to this trash of poetry. It’s us that give meaning and life to poetry. An extraordinary poem is just an ordinary one if it doesn’t capture the agony and happiness of readers. And what makes it extraordinary is its ordinariness.

Poetry is a synoptic or a tiny novel. It’s also a laconic and subtle expression that pierces through our psyche, our souls, minds and spirit. Writing poetry is telling a story in a shorter manner. You have all key elements similar to writing stories: action, character, chronology, experience, setting, and motive. Writing poetry is reporting, like the “One Husband and Five Wives “ method or the “NEWS” method. And it is complemented with five senses--sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

As I sailed through the rough seas of poetry or poesy writing, I learned to name my sails as ACCESM.In Malay I call it TIWAKPETEMO, a portmanteau of Tindakan, Watak, Kronologi, Pengalaman, Tetapan and Motif. That is why poetry writing is a significant part of our study. Poetry comes with love, romance and humanity. It signifies the joy of being us today, living our lives.

15 September 2018, FB Post.Neldy Jolo​With regards to this video, I want to bring some points to people's attention. It needs to be looked into it deeply, to correct and to put it to proper perspectives. I am not to let you accept. But here are some facts that people need to know and understand:

1. The Muslims of Sabah did not exist only by 1963. Before the Federation of Malaysia established in 16 September 1963, Sabah has its Muslims inhabitants. There was no such called ‘illegal immigrants’ as issuing identification card was not yet implemented.

​2. The British established Company in North Borneo with the agreements signed between Brunei (1877) and Sulu (1761, 1765 and 1878) sultanates. And by these periods the indigenous Muslims have been living side by side with the indigenous non-Muslims.

3. Christianity was established in North Borneo in 1882 after the establishment of British North Borneo. According to a manuscript of Idahan found in Lahad Datu Islam landed on Sabah in 1408. Borneo was ruled by Brunei and Sulu, the Islamic empires, so Islam plays an important part in Sabah history (Sabah Islamic Civilisation Museum).

4. Sabah has a long history of being part of the Sulu and Brunei sultanates and Islam exist and widely practice in Sabah long before the establishment of Malaysia. There are evidences of Islamic tombstones and old mosques in Sabah. And you should not look at the history of Sabah only started from 1963.

5. The so called ‘Sabahan’ are indigenous Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They are composed of more than 30 ethnic groups. It should be noted that many non-Muslim natives in Sabah embraced Islam and moved to the category of being Muslim Bumiputera or Muslim Anak Negeri. They have no issues of being Muslims and non-Muslims. They are against of any exportation of hatred based on religion.

6. As per Interpretation (Definition of Natives) Ordinance of North Borneo in 1952, indigenous Muslims Sabahan are also natives (anak negeri) and not at all ‘illegal immigrants’ and ‘refugees’. It should have been emphasized in this video, so there would be no misconceptions arise towards indigenous Muslims Sabahan.

7. If some Muslims arrived from the Sulu archipelago in 70’s due to war, it just because they have been coming back and forth before the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. They are just like the other non-Muslims of the same race who are natives in both Sabah and Kalimantan (Indonesia) as their ancestral domain includes both territories and borders. But their presence in Sabah is not questioned.

8. Just like in West Malaysia, where not all residence at the time of Hari Merdeka was citizens. Hence, the issue of ‘Tamil Stateless’ is being regularised until today. It’s similar to Sabah where not all residence of Sabah at Malaysia Day were citizens as many were deemed undocumented including all the more than 30 indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah. There are huge population in Sabah including the non-Muslims who are still applying for citizenship.

9. For information, many indigenous people in Sabah don’t live by documents but culture and native domain compared to the affluent and 'educated' population in the cities.

10. Many Muslim people in Sabah live in the hundreds of islands and are nomadic. One of their ancestral homelands is in Sabah and its islands. And don't look at the history of this country only during and after Malaysia is established.

11. The Muslims and non-Muslims in Sabah are peacefully living side by side. The issue of religion should not be used to divide these natives. The wild conspiracy theory imposed by irresponsible political forces and racist elements are to divide Sabahans for political purpose.

12. The issue should deeply be corrected and studied, so the story and narrative can be a fair account of all, and so it may not become a one-sided story and ‘racist’ as well as ‘Islamophobic’ in nature.

13. It should be put in a term that Sabah is a vast and complicated state with hundreds of islands with different races of indigenous people (Muslims and non-Muslims alike) who are until today struggling to get documentation, citizenship and their rights due to the political propaganda and poverty as well as logistical issues and illiteracy.

14. This is not discounting that some corrupt officials have in the past issued fake IC’s or documents but it is not specifically limited to Muslim ethnics but including other non-Muslim ethnics that are part of the more than 30 ethnic groups as well as other ethnics from the other part of the world.

Here's the answer of the Newsflash Video Producer, commented in my FB Post:

Hello Neldy,

I am the producer of this episode of Newsflash. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on it. I'm glad that there is an active discussion going on around a topic that has been shushed away for so long.

I wish to apologize as we were not able to go in depth on discussing the nature and religions of indigenous populations in Sabah. No doubt there have been Muslims in the region but because of the time constraint (we try to keep the episode within 8 minutes), we couldn't go in depth.

We did however acknowledge that most of the people that were given documents as part of project IC were the existing population but perhaps we focused too much on the political motivations of state actors.

We will do better next time. Thank you for voicing out your thoughts; it's discussions like these that keep us in check to be more considerate with our work.

Thanks once again.

- Satpal Kaler19 September 2018Producer , Newsflash

And Nadira Ilana answered him with this , in the same post:

You can go into depth. Your focus just needs to be more pointed. Political motivations were and always to Malaynise and ethnically absorb Borneo natives (Muslim and non-Muslim alike) into the Malay category because Malaysia was built on Malay supremacy. Hence Article 153 within the Federal Constitution. This is common knowledge in Sabah. The cultural erasure is despicable and should be held in the same gravity as indigenous peoples in Australia and Hawaii et al. Duration is not the issue. It’s the development of the story and idea so you can get to the ‘heart’ of the issue. Not just ‘part’ of the issue.​- Nadira Ilana

]]>Fri, 12 Aug 2016 04:16:02 GMThttp://www.layagsug.com/home/busong-poetry-on-reelWhen I came to the Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival last July 13, 2016, my only intention was to watch Heart of Gaya Street, a local documentary about life in Gaya Street. But, at the hallway outside the cinema, I met Ms. Jude Day, one of the festival's organizers. She introduced me to a guy from Palawan, who turned out, amazingly, to be the director of one of the films being screened during the festival, “Busong - Palawan Fate”.

Some of the films screened during the KK International film festival last July 13, 2016

What immediately caught my interest was the word “Busong”. It has a special place and meaning in my culture. In Orang Suluk or Tau Sug, it means retribution, a curse, or divine punishment for people’s disrespect of their tradition, culture, and ancient belief.

In the Malay world, the word refers to an edema believed to be caused by a curse from someone’s ancestors. It is often associated with black magic. To cure someone with “busung”, a shaman has to be called to recite some chants or administer treatment.

Curious now, I decided to check the film out. The film wouldn’t start until 8:00 pm. I was early.

I found my seat at the middle of the cinema. I forgot what number it was. Inside, the air conditioner was blowing cold air like the Arctic. I was shivering, but I decided not to mind the cold. It was my fault anyway for not bringing a sweater or jacket.

When the film was about to roll, they dimmed all the lights inside the cinema. The big screen in front of me started to come alive. As if on cue, everyone immediately became quiet. I couldn’t hear a single sound from anyone’s lips. In my tiny space I relaxed quietly, my eyes focused on the screen. I didn’t want to miss any single bit.

Busong tells the story of a girl named Punay (played by Filipina actress Alessandra de Rossi) who was born with mysterious wounds all over her body and whose feet had wounds so raw they keep her from walking. Her brother, Angkarang, carries her around, and together they roam the island in search for a cure. Along the way, they meet three people. Each of them also had their own sad stories to tell.

Busong’s storytelling is slow-paced, almost lyrical you’d feel like watching a poem unraveling itself on reel. And in the backdrop you’ll find Palawan. So mysterious, so unbelievably beautiful it makes you wonder if such a place really exists.

Busong’s director is an internationally acclaimed, multi-awarded filmmaker from Palawan. I was only introduced to him less than an hour before. But he didn’t seem to be a stranger to me at all. He told me that in Palawan, his tribal name means the ‘hunter of truth’. I also found out when I researched online later that it means ‘hit it with a powerful pierce’ in Malay, Indian and Tagalog.

Me and the director at the lobby before the screening

In a way, the film is like the director’s name, capturing your interest at first and then hitting you next with the powerful truth.​I didn’t know until I was told that he was actually Aureus Solito, the director of the multi-awarded film Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros. That film was one of the wittiest, most astounding I’ve seen in 2005.

Busong is similarly astounding, but in a different way. In Busong, you’ll smile, get angry, and maybe cry at the same time.

Busong is not just the story of Punay and the people she and her brother meet while looking for a cure. It is also about Palawan, a land that is now in danger of dying because of people’s abuses. Busong is a silent protest over massive destruction of the environment, of people’s ancestral lands, and of native culture in Palawan, which, according to Punay, is a mountain that, like her, is bleeding and in pain. Thus the film is a warning to natives that if they don’t resist cultural invasion, they will be cursed by their ancestors accordingly.

Palawan’s predicament is not unique, as it happens to most places touched by colonialists. Once colonialists come in, they don’t just rob people of lands; they also strip and crush native culture, replacing it with their own.​The beauty of the film is not only in the big things, but also in the tiny details, such as that line from a man who says his pain has become too big it has grown enormous like the sun. The touching way in which he delivered this explains the gravity of his emotions. Even a person who isn’t familiar with the plight of natives in Palawan will understand.

I wasn’t very surprised that the cinema was almost filled during the screening. Everyone seemed to have connected with the place and the characters. Perhaps most everyone understood that Palawanons are interconnected with Sabahans in many ways--by culture, by ancient beliefs, by a shared sea and ancestors.

In the end, I saw the hand of the director throughout the film. After all, he may have just told his own story too as it seems to have blossomed from his backyard. His film reminds us about the value of authenticity in being. This last part seems to be exemplified by his own tribal name, Kanakan Balintagos.

I love you, peace. Let’s sail together. Layag Sug!

]]>Thu, 11 Aug 2016 14:38:29 GMThttp://www.layagsug.com/home/cant-be-solo-in-soloNote: This is Part 2 of my post regarding our travel to Jogjakarta and Solo as part of the Familiarization Trip sponsored by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry. You can read Part 1 here.

It’s 31st July, 2016.On this day,I can’t be solo in visiting Solo. I need to have someone with me to help me understand the different narratives and epics of the Solo kingdoms, the Sultanate, and the Sunanate. I can’t properly take notes of interesting rules in the past while visiting the Mangku Negaran (Sultan’s Palace), like those that have to be followed when the wife or husband is away from their homes. ​​

​I was told that in the old days here, one way for the Sultan to restrain himself and avoid committing sins when away from his wife is by sheathing his phallus. Likewise when the wife is away, she’d put a covering plate on her fanny too. Those sheaths and covering plates were not ordinary. They were made of heavy gold with different designs and shapes.

1st August 2016. Earlier, the organizers told us we were going to Mount Merapi. I thought there was going to be heavy rain as the organizers gave each of us raincoats. I didn’t actually mind the rain. How heavy it would be, I had no idea. In my mind I was only thinking about the mountain and the villages we’d pass by going there. ​I quickly tied my head with my kandit siyabit, a Suluk weaved shawl, before going inside our jeep. I also took jamu, a herbal tonic very popular in Indonesia. There are different kinds of Jamu. I chose the one for muscle pain and drank it with sugar syrup because it was too bitter for my taste.

From the city, it took us about an hour to reach the villages at the foot of the mountain. Along the way, we passed by the Alien Stone (a rock that looks like an alien) and took some photos for souvenir.

Alien Stone (Locals say this stone behind me may have come from the sky)

​We then tried the siomai sold by locals before heading to the Sisa Hartaku, a mini-museum that reminded us of the mountain’s last eruption in 2010. ​

Sisa Hartaku Mini Museum

​The museum is actually an old house with a collection of belongings from people who used to live near the area. I felt sad imagining how it must have been during the deadly eruption. How people must have ran to save their families. How they must have rushed to save the last of their animals and belongings. At the museum, I saw among the display some houseware, utensils, skeletons of cows, even a molten clock which showed the dials frozen to that day of the eruption, a reminder that from then on, time in this village would be divided into two: before and after.

Found an old bike and some animal bones in front of the Sisa Hartaku

​Going back to the city, we passed by the Merapi River. We had to cover ourselves so we won’t get wet as the jeep was crossing the river too fast. Now I know what the raincoats were intended for.

2nd August 2016. Dawn had come. It was time to go the airport. It was hard to go, but I told myself this is not the last chance for me to be here.​As we waited for our flight to Jakarta, my phone buzzed. I grabbed it and typed some words. They were not goodbyes, because I don’t recognize goodbyes. I just wanted to save my words of happiness and thanks to the people who were instrumental in bringing us near their hearts during this Indonesia Familiarization Trip. I continued sipping black coffee in a small, white cup. Brother Lano Lan and brother Ruzaini aka Ahmad Dhani II were sitting near me beside a square, white table while looking at the runway where different planes passing by every minute.

I said in Malay, “God willing, we will meet again. There are many stories that we need to share together.” The reply in Malay came very fast. “Definitely, definitely, Brother. History is the past. Let’s do a new story.” And I said, “A new story is coming, Pak”. I was no longer expecting a reply from Pak Ruben as I knew he needed sleep, having flown directly to Jogjakarta after catching up with his work in Batam Island. He has not had sleep since he arrived. But he promised to be with our group for this trip.

No goodbye

As I enjoyed my last few minutes here with friends from the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, Pak Ruben, Mas Bondan, and the team of event organizers, Mbak Vian, Mas Eka, Pak Wisnu, and Mas Fitri, the team from Indonesia Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu, Pak Widodo, Ibu Wulan and Pak Daru, I realized that another page filled with historical moments had been carved on pages of my tiny notebook. I need to cuddle these memories and inscribe them in my bosom for future journeys ahead.

Before the flight took off, I thought of writing a poem. And I did. Please help me by reading gently, word by word, while I sleep quietly before arriving at Kuala Lumpur. I wrote. I am now asleep. Stop listening. Don’t move. And take hold. Here’s the poem:

I don't recognize the phrase "goodbye".I really don’t.Upon departing from the place I go,I avoid “goodbye”Saying such word is the saddest thing to do.This wide ground is but a symbol.A signal that I will be here again.Again and again, I will come.I will return.The historical and cultural visits are waiting.​I love you, peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!

For travel and tour inquiry please contact the numbers and address below:

]]>Sun, 07 Aug 2016 08:27:39 GMThttp://www.layagsug.com/home/jogjakarta-a-prosperous-city-of-knowledge"Jogjakarta” always sounds like a song of romance to me. Its rhythm evokes a feeling of warmth and acceptance. Like an unfinished poem, it beckons one to come in and fill missing lines. Some things here beg for experience.

I’ve been here once, in 2012. During that time, the places we went to were the most common ones, like Borobudur and Prambanan Temples and Malioboro Street. We also went to the Zero Kilometer Point of the city, which is near the Malioboro Street. I didn’t stay at five-star hotels, but I remember all my accommodations felt like palaces meant for kings.

Today is my second time to step on this ground. It’s 29th July, 2016. The sun shines over a bustling and busy city. I see many changes have occurred since last I was here. Now, I see taller buildings standing high. The streets are more crowded with faces of varying colors and degrees of beauty.

a view of the city from my hotel room

​​The city seems to be teeming now with more modern and taller buildings, but what I am excited about is meeting people here again. I couldn’t forget the warmth and cheerfulness of everyone I met from my last visit.

My hopes and dreams have been answered. I’m back again as I’ve always wanted. ​​​It is not hard to make friends here. Everyone seems kind, respectful, and helpful. Not to mention learned. Jogjakarta is known as the ‘Students’ City’ or ‘Cultural City’. It may not be incorrect too if I call it the ‘Knowledge City’ or Kota Ilmu. Everyone seems to be fully aware of their own history and their ancestors’ contributions to Indonesia’s nationhood.

very friendly local

​

​Some history and politics

On August 1 while visiting the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, a palace complex which also serves as a museum and cultural center, we learned more about the region’s politics and history. ​

entrance to the Sultan Palace

​Jogjakarta is a special region in Indonesia. It has His Highness the Sultan sitting as the city governor. This political organization is similar to those of sultanates in Malaysia where Sultans still rule their own states as heads of state, although in Malaysia they don’t function as heads of government.

With the Sultan as its head of state, Jogjakarta is the only region in Indonesia that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy. This same monarchy has existed for hundreds of years and survived through Dutch and Japanese invasion.

at the Sultan Palace

​Jogjakarta is just like other sultanates in the ‘Malay World’ like the Patani, Sulu and Maguindanao. But unlike the three, it didn’t bite the political hooks of colonialists. Maguindanao and Sulu continue to exist until now, but only as faint shadows of their glorious pasts.

​Note to self: When I go home, it will be a good point for me to study how the city held up against the colonial Dutch until Indonesia’s de facto independence in 17th August 1945, exactly seventy-one years ago on Malaysia’s Independence month--the same month of my birth and my visit.

me at the Sultan Palace

​Art and culture

Batik

Batik is the art of decorating cloth and creating beautiful, intricate patterns using wax and dye. If you go around Jogjakarta, you will find lots of stores selling beautiful batik fabric, dresses, bags, and others.

​​People here must be very proud of their batik designs. They all look very beautiful. I’ve seen lots of Batik in other places as well, but here they’re bolder and more colorful.

Batik of Jogjakarta

I was told that the word “batik” comes from the phrase ‘amba setitik demi setitik, which means “to write drop by drop”. In Indonesia, there are batik designs that are meant exclusively for members of the royalty, while there are those reserved for common people.

Millions of batik designs are exhibited in the Batik Danar Hadi and Batik Omah Laweyan at Solo or Surakarta. In Jogjakarta, you can see them everywhere including the Ullen Sentalu Museum, a culture and art museum located on top of a hill, and about thirty minutes from the city.

woman selling Batik clothing

Today we went to the museum, passing by native villages and green canopies along the way. It was a refreshing sight. When we arrived, I jumped off the bus immediately, only to be greeted by a gush of air chillier than that inside our air-conditioned bus.

entrance of the Ullen Sentalu Museum

​A bunch of local women selling the Salak Madu or the honeyed snake fruit approached us. Salak Madu looks scaly like a snake on the outside, but the inside is very sweet, maybe sweeter than honey. It’s everyone’s favorite fruit in Jogjakarta. Everywhere in the city or even in the countryside you can find people selling or eating Salak Madu. People also sell them along the art streets near the gate to the Buddhist Borobudur Temple, one of the World Heritage Sites in Indonesia together with the Hindu Prambanan Temple.

local women selling Salak Madu

Inside the museum, there are paintings, old photographs, poetry pieces, letters, and narratives written in Javanese and Malay language and translated into English and Dutch. I saw a lot of representations of old Javanese culture. But what amazed me the most is the striking similarity between Javanese culture and Suluk culture. For instance, they have this xylophone-like instrument called “gambang”, which is exactly the same as the Suluk “gabbang”, only bigger. Early Javanese use writing scripts called the Aksara Jawa, which are similar to Suluk scripts called Luntarsug. And they have these chants called uyon-uyon/klenengan (which I overheard being played in the background), which sound almost the same as the Suluk chant called “lugu”.

A "gambang" like this is displayed at the Ullen Sentalu Museum, looking strikingly similar to the Suluk "gabbang", only bigger

​Nevertheless, I had my time touring around Prambanan Temple in 2012, wondering how it was greatly designed, how it comes in precise measurements. How it was built with such advanced level of engineering that even until now, scientists and archaeologists are still baffled by it.

Sugeng Rawuh​Sugeng Rawuh was the phrase that welcomed us upon our arrival at Jogjakarta’s city airport. It means ‘welcome’ in Javanese and ‘selamat datang’ in Malay, or in English, ‘You’ve safely arrived’.At the museum earlier, we found one of the letters of the Sultan addressed to the people. A word struck me there. ‘Dumateng’. While reading the letter, Pak Wido told me what it means in Malay--to or toward. The root word of ‘dumateng’ must have come from the word ‘datang’ which means ‘arrive’ and ‘reach’. It is also similar to the Suluk word ‘dumatung’, which also means ‘to arrive or to reach’.

It’s not surprising to me that the city of Jogjakarta is an integral center of the ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ program. It is the perfect representation of an authentic Malay world. Thus we’re fortunate that despite the difficulty of having to wake up early and jump from one airport terminal to another (a total of five all in all including Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Jogjakarta), we still arrived here.

stupas at Borobudur

Ramayana epic play

We walked around a friendly city, witnessed a play of the Ramayana Epic. We learned about Jogjakarta or Yogyakarta originating from Ayodha, the ‘proper, fit, suitable’ city from Ramayana Epic and karta which means prosperous and flourishing’. Jogjakarta is indeed ‘a city that is fit to prosper’.

In a way, I see some connection between Ayodha and the word ‘ayura’, which in Bahasa Suluk means ‘to take care’. In Spanish, there's a word called ‘ayuda’ which means ‘help’. Thus, Jogjakarta flourished when the leaders and people help one another in taking care of the city.

There's many more to talk about. But I can’t just simply capture Jogjakarta in one poem or article. It’s not enough for me to capture all the beauty and wisdom I’ve learned here. I can only thank the good people who invited me to this Familiarization Trip and for letting me truly experience Wonderful Indonesia.

In my next article, I write about Solo, Mount Merapi and the Sisa Hartaku Museum. But before you read that, let me first thank the Indonesian Tourism Ministry, Pak Ruben, Mas Bondan, and the team of event organizers, Mbak Vian, Mas Eka, Pak Wisnu, and Mas Fitri, the team from Indonesia Consulate General, Kota Kinabalu, Pak Wido, Ibu Wulan and Pak Daru. Without them, this whole experience would not have been immensely enjoyable.​I love you, peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!

I arrived at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 5:00 AM on 12th May 2016. I was still feeling groggy. My younger sister who drove me to the airport looked like she could use a few more hours of sleep. I waved goodbye to her, thanking her and wishing her a safe drive going home.

Just as I was about to enter the airport’s sliding door, my phone rang. Abang Naddin, a colleague from Utusan Borneo, was on the line. He asked me to check my inbox.

When I read his message, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to feel sad. Our flight, which was supposed to be at 7 am, had been moved to 8:50 am.

I sat for breakfast waiting for my colleagues to arrive. While sipping my brewed coffee, I thought about the trip. I remembered that after flying to Jakarta and visiting Palembang, we would be visiting Belitung Island. I didn’t know much about Belitung, except that it was the setting for Laskar Pelangi (The Rainbow Troops), a famous movie I heard about in 2008.

Adapted from a novel of the same title, Laskar Pelangi was written in 2005 by Indonesian author Andrea Hirata. The movie adaptation was directed by acclaimed director Riri Riza. Its producer, Mira Lesmana, hired local children of Belitung to be part of the cast, which included Indonesia’s top actors and actresses at the time.

I read that Laskar Pelangi is Indonesia’s all-time highest-grossing movie to date. It received numerous awards, both locally and internationally. But the movie would not have been as successful and as famous if not for the island and the local children that shaped the story and made it seem more real and endearing to audiences.

After more than an hour, Pak Wido from the Consulate of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia arrived. Soon our other colleagues started arriving. I seemed to be the only one indeed who wasn’t aware of our flight change.

On the 16th of May 2016, I was on another flight again. ​

our plane arriving in Belitung on 5/16/16

This time we were off to Belitung Island from Jakarta, and this time I had the correct schedule. I was in the aisle seat of our twin-aisle aircraft, anxiously stretching my neck to get a view of the scenery far below. ​​

Nearing Belitung island, I saw a vast crystal blue sea and a white, seemingly endless beachline. A bright blue sky draped all over the island.

For an islander like myself, coming to Belitung Island was like a homecoming. I remembered being at the bay of Sandakan once again, watching its side of the majestic Sulu Sea.

The Garuda Indonesia was about to land. Bro Ruzaini pointed me to a soft rainbow curving its charming colors towards our window. My thoughts flashed back to the remarkable story about ten poor children who came to be called “Laskar Pelangi” by their inspiring teacher, Ibu Muslimah. It was Ibu Muslimah who continued teaching and giving them hope despite only receiving a sack of rice as her salary.

We landed at Belitung’s airport in Tanjung Pandan, in the province of Bangka-Belitung. Later, I learned that the airport was named after a former regent, Lieutenant Coronel H.A.S Hanandjoeddin. Belitung Island is located on the east coast of Sumatra in the Java Sea. Our tour guide, Mas Agus Pahlevi, told us that the island’s population is about 271, 868.

Speaking jolly with his pantun, Mas Agus guided us to the tourist bus that had been waiting for us even before our flight landed. Mas Agus said he was happy meeting us, as he had visited Kota Kinabalu before and was familiar with our ways and needs.

Mas Agus Pahlevi was fascinating. As a new acquaintance, he spoke a lot and was articulate and fluent. He seemed to be knowledgeable about the island’s history and culture, even its flora and fauna. He also knew a lot about the island’s tin and white pepper business.

After taking photos with some colleagues, I walked fast to the bus as my stomach was already growling. It became worse when I heard that we were heading to a native food restaurant. Thankfully, the restaurant, Timpu Duluk, was only 30 minutes away. ​

The interior of Timpu Duluk was stunning. I almost forgot my hunger. The wall was carefully patched and lined up with a collection of old wooden utensils, a bicycle, local agricultural tools, and even woven farmers’ and fishermen’s hats. ​​

interiors of Timpu Duluk restaurant

After a while, my growling stomach pulled me towards a long table where different kinds of local viands were carefully arranged.

I sat at the rear end of the table, beside Pak Wido and my other colleague Ruzaini from Metro News. Food was served in small glass and ceramic plates. My eyes were focused on the squid soup, one of my favorite viands along with fried tuna. These were perfect partners for the white rice. While eating, I couldn’t help but remember what Mas Agus Pahlevi told us about the colossal rock formations towering the Tanjung Tinggi beach. Thinking of this as I ate, I imagined myself on the beach already, paddling a plate as my boat, seawater splashing all over me like a fountain. A hungry mind makes funny thoughts.

native food served at Timpu Duluk

Origin

From the start, I’ve been very curious about how Belitung got its name. In the old times, people used to refer to Belitung as Billiton, an island famous for its plentiful tektites. Tektites are small black glassy objects, many of which are found over the earth's surface. They are believed to have been formed as molten debris in meteorite impacts and scattered widely through the air. They are also called agni mani, which in Sanskrit means “fire pearls” or “teardrops from the moon”.

The origin of the name Billiton is unknown. We were told there was a Dutch mining company in 1860 of the same name that acquired rights to tin mining in the island. The island’s name may have only been mistaken to be Billiton from Belitung by the Dutch or otherwise. I am not so sure.

But I could not sleep until I’ve found the etymology of Belitung and Billiton. I thought perhaps deconstructing the name itself may help me find a clue to the island’s name.

I started with the word Beli or Bael, which refers to a fruit-bearing tree known as pokok Maja. This is also the tree where the Majapahit Kingdom got its name. And then I looked for the meaning of the words Tong and Tung. Tong means “a place” or a “container” while Tung refers to the “imitative sound of the gong”. Both could have formed the word Belitong or Belitung.

I also looked for the meanings of the suggestive words Billi and Ton. I found different meanings for Billi, but the ones that seemed to make sense are “a very gorgeous girl” and “knows exactly what to say, always”. I also learned that Ton means “a large amount or number” or “a unit of weight which equals to 1000 kilograms”. Both could also have formed the word Billiton.

After about an hour at Tanjung Pandan town buying swimming shorts and slippers and eating ice cream, we set out to Manggar, a place where we were promised to taste a unique blend of black coffee. Along the way, I was observing sights from left to right of the road. My eyes couldn’t seem to count the number of mosques scattered all over the place. Almost every village that we passed by has one.

We spent some time taking photographs at Kelapa Kampit Chinese temple before reaching Manggar. After about ¸two hours coffee craving, we arrived at Manggar, the “city of a thousand coffee shops.” With so many coffee shops lined up on each side of the road, this place is heaven for every kahawarista. We went inside a small shop and sat down. It was about 7 pm.

Kang Djic restaurant in Manggar (w/c has been operating since WW2)

The black coffee served with hot banana fritters were making our chit chat with Pak Ruben, Pak Wido, Mas Bondan, Maya, Bro Ruzaini and Pak Francis more delightful. We talked about our desire to meet novelist Andrea Hirata and teacher Ibu Muslimah. As someone who is engaged in creative writing, I consider my trip to Belitung not fully complete and satisfying if I couldn’t meet either of them and take at least a side trip to visit the school. Sadly, we were informed that the novelist had gone back to Jakarta. Perhaps we could still visit Ibu Muslimah, the replica of the primary school where she was teaching, and the Museum Kata built by Andrea Hirata.

After Manggar, there are still many other beautiful islands to visit in Belitung. I couldn’t wait to see all of them. One of the islands in Belitung that have popular landmarks is Lengkuas Island. Lengkuas island has perfectly clear blue waters, fine white sand, and a unique chain of granite stones. It also has a 16-floors- and 65-meters-high towering lighthouse built in 1882 by Dutch colonial government.

In about 20 minutes, we reached the island.

rock formations @ Lengkuas Island

at Lengkuas Island

Dutch lighthouse at Lengkuas Island

My colleagues went snorkeling while I sat listening to Mas Agus, our very own knowledgeable guide, narrating the different stories about the island and its granite stones. One of the most exciting of his narrations was about eating, of course.

Our lunch would be in a restaurant at a nearby island, he said. He pointed his finger to a flattened island, which he said is named Kepayang. Kepayang Island is best for its sumptuous food. After a while, we rode the boat and went to the island for lunch. While waiting for the grilled fish to be served, I took one glass of black coffee. The fish is called Pugut in Bahasa Suluk. It is a favorite of the Suluk people in Sabah. The viand that was served early was the Chili Crabs.

Not far from the restaurant, there is a “sailing rock island” known to locals as Pulau Batu Berlayar. The boat passed by near it, concluding our island hopping. If it were not for time constraint, I would have visited the island and all other islands in Belitung. There’s always a story to tell about each of them. As they say, it’s just a matter of how one appreciates the preciousness of each one.

It was not long before we reached Tanjung Pendam, a cape where our hotel, Grand Hatika is located. In front of it there are nice places to hang out. There is a karaoke den and a place for music gigs. But I was not fortunate enough to enjoy these places, where dusk time is said to be the best moment to enjoy.

I was told that if one would sit at the beach pavilion, he’d be presented a view of a beautiful sunset. I could imagine myself sitting there, contemplating the moment. Again I didn’t have the chance to witness the sunset showing its charm to my camera’s lens. I’ll just have to experience this the next time I visit.

On our way back to the hotel from Manggar during our first night there, I was reminded by Pak Ruben’s words, “our journey to Belitung will be more interesting with the cooperation of everyone who’d unveil its beauty to the eyes of the world”.

Our second night here, Abang Naddin’s friends, poet and musician, Pak Yudi and Pak Yuda drove us to their home. The motorcycle convoy was running slowly. When we arrived at their home, we were served a cup of coffee along with delicious fish cakes.I still laugh silently when I see a fish cake. Its story had been related to us by Pak Wido and Pak Andhika earlier, during our courtesy call with Consul General Pak Akhmad Daya Handasah Irfan at the office of the Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

That was a day before we flew to Jakarta for the Familiarization Trip 2016 to witness “Wonderful Indonesia”. Fish cakes are called Kapal Selam in Belitung. Kapal Selam literally means a “submarine”. Imagine the people of Belitung eating submarines. Indeed terrifying.

State of the Rainbow Troops

The morning of our flight back to Jakarta, we packed early and checked out from the hotel as we’ve been briefed the night before. But before that, we had to head back to Manggar to meet Ibu Muslimah. Those who’d be joining would be in white and black cars. Other colleagues that were set to go straight to the airport took the bus. I was with Pak Ruben, Mas Bondan and Jason in one car.

Not far from the hotel, Pak Ruben stopped for a while to meet a friend of his. The front wall of the small shop where we stopped had a wooden board that read: “Kong Djie Coffee, sejak 1943”. It means this coffee shop was started during the Second World War. This was the same branch of coffee shop at Manggar where we set our last stop before heading to the airport.

Ibu Muslimah’s house is not far from the island’s office of culture and tourism, where we had a short glance of the museum-like office to learn more about the cultural story of Belitung, including the Hantu Bubuh, which literally means a “fish cage ghost”.

Everyone laughed when Ibu Muslimah asked me about my status while we continued chatting before leaving.

Ibu Muslimah talking about Laskar Pelangi

a marker for the area where the movie, Laskar Pelangi, was shot

Museum Kata (Words Museum), established by Andrea Hirata in Manggar

These and many other charming things make Belitung a cultural rainbow and a site for religious tourism. I’m sure the Indonesian Tourism Ministry can make cultural tours like the one we just had.

Not long after our chat with Ibu Muslimah, we departed, flying Sri Wijaya Air back to Jakarta. As I sat for the takeoff, I felt really good. I had packed good memories about Belitung that would never fade away. I’d keep them alive in written pieces like poems and articles like this. ​​